Finishing a Development Branch

Overview

Guide completion of development work by presenting clear options and handling chosen workflow.

Core principle: Verify tests → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.

Announce at start: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."

The Process

Step 1: Verify Tests

Before presenting options, verify tests pass:

# Run project's test suite
npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...

If tests fail:

Tests failing (<N> failures). Must fix before completing:
[Show failures]
Cannot proceed with merge/PR until tests pass.

Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.

If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Determine Base Branch

# Try common base branches
git merge-base HEAD main 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD master 2>/dev/null

Or ask: "This branch split from main - is that correct?"

Step 3: Present Options

Present exactly these 4 options:

Implementation complete. What would you like to do?
1. Merge back to <base-branch> locally
2. Push and create a Pull Request
3. Keep the branch as-is (I'll handle it later)
4. Discard this work
Which option?

Don't add explanation - keep options concise.

Step 4: Execute Choice

#### Option 1: Merge Locally

# Switch to base branch
git checkout <base-branch>
# Pull latest
git pull
# Merge feature branch
git merge <feature-branch>
# Verify tests on merged result
<test command>
# If tests pass
git branch -d <feature-branch>

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)

#### Option 2: Push and Create PR

# Push branch
git push -u origin <feature-branch>
# Create PR
gh pr create --title "<title>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>
## Test Plan
- [ ] <verification steps>
EOF
)"

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)

#### Option 3: Keep As-Is

Report: "Keeping branch <name>. Worktree preserved at <path>."

Don't cleanup worktree.

#### Option 4: Discard

Confirm first:

This will permanently delete:
- Branch <name>
- All commits: <commit-list>
- Worktree at <path>
Type 'discard' to confirm.

Wait for exact confirmation.

If confirmed:

git checkout <base-branch>
git branch -D <feature-branch>

Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)

Step 5: Cleanup Worktree

For Options 1, 2, 4:

Check if in worktree:

git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)

If yes:

git worktree remove <worktree-path>

For Option 3: Keep worktree.

Quick Reference

| Option | Merge | Push | Keep Worktree | Cleanup Branch |
|--------|-------|------|---------------|----------------|
| 1. Merge locally | ✓ | - | - | ✓ |
| 2. Create PR | - | ✓ | ✓ | - |
| 3. Keep as-is | - | - | ✓ | - |
| 4. Discard | - | - | - | ✓ (force) |

Common Mistakes

Skipping test verification

• Problem: Merge broken code, create failing PR


• Fix: Always verify tests before offering options

• Problem: "What should I do next?" → ambiguous


• Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options

• Problem: Remove worktree when might need it (Option 2, 3)


• Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1 and 4

• Problem: Accidentally delete work


• Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation

Red Flags

Never:

• Proceed with failing tests


• Merge without verifying tests on result


• Delete work without confirmation


• Force-push without explicit request

• Verify tests before offering options


• Present exactly 4 options


• Get typed confirmation for Option 4


• Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only

Integration

Called by:

• subagent-driven-development (Step 7) - After all tasks complete


• executing-plans (Step 5) - After all batches complete

• using-git-worktrees - Cleans up worktree created by that skill